Last week three hundred and ten of our Archdiocesan Priests and I spent three and a half days together for our convocation at the Grand Geneva in Wisconsin. One of the conversations that captured our attention was when Cardinal Cupich spoke about the future of our Church in Chicago... The question before us was not “what should we do?” but rather “Where is the Holy Spirit leading us?”... Where is the Holy Spirit Leading us, and how can we walk faithfully into that future?​...

This weekend we celebrate both Juneteenth and Father’s Day while hearing Jesus’ powerful words in the gospel: “Do not be afraid.”... In the Gospel, Jesus encourages his disciples not to be afraid of the difficulties they will encounter. Instead, He reminds them that they are precious in God’s sight: “Even all the hairs on your head are counted.” God’s love gives us the courage to stand for what is right, to speak the truth, and to live as faithful disciples...

June is the time of transitions for priests moving to new assignments... After six years of dedicated service to the Ascension and Saint Edmund community, Father Rex will be leaving us... At the same time, we welcome Father Michael Novick, who will serve as Pastoral Moderator at Ascension and Saint Edmund Parish beginning July 1... All are invited to the beginning summer concert in the courtyard at Saint Giles campus next Friday June 19, at 7:30 PM...

Today’s Feast of Corpus Christ and our last two major liturgical celebrations, The Holy Trinity and Pentecost, have been celebrated at a providential time as our parishes continue the journey of unification and renewal... At Pentecost, the disciples gathered together facing an uncertain future... The Feast of the Holy Trinity, celebrated just last week, reminds us that God’s very nature is communion... That brings us to today’s Feast of Corpus Christi celebrating Christ’s enduring presence among us in the Eucharist...

It is that time of year, GRADUATION! Graduation is more than the completion of a school year or the receiving of a diploma... I especially want to commend the 8th graders of Saint Catherine-Saint Lucy School and Saint Giles School, and Ascension School... While graduation celebrates achievements, it also reminds us that none of us walk alone... There will be moments of excitement and moments of uncertainty ahead. In both, may they trust God walks with them...

Happy Feast of Pentecost... The Ascension was not about Jesus leaving; it is about Christ gathering people into something greater. (This is also what happens at Pentecost.) We must remember the Church was never meant to be built around one building or one way of doing things. The Church, and we are the Church, is built around the Risen Jesus Christ. And when we keep Christ at the center, then we are never truly divided.... We are the Body of Christ... ONE BREAD, ONE CUP, ONE LORD...

Today, the Church celebrates the Ascension of Jesus, reminding us that while Jesus returned to the Father, He did not abandon His disciples. Before ascending, He gave them a mission, a promise, and a hope: “I am with you always.” I want us all to remember those words still guide us as Church today... Today, I encourage us all, in the reality of our new parish unifications, to accept and support how Christ entrusts his mission to us...

Jesus says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” These are words that are both simple and yet deeply challenging. Love in this sense is not just a feeling or a private devotion; it is something lived, something visible... What does this mean for us today? It means hope is not something we wait for but something we carry... Today we celebrate Mother’s Day and are reminded of one of the clearest reflections of this kind of love...

These past two weekends, our parishes were blessed to celebrate a beautiful sacred milestone as children received their First Holy Communion. I want to offer heartfelt congratulations to each of these young members of our community... First Communion is not a one-time event - it is the beginning of a lifelong relationship with Christ in the Eucharist... We all need to remember the Eucharist is spiritual food for the journey.

Transitions are a part of all our lives. Last week, Father Rex wrote about his moving to a new parish at the end of June... I am grateful for the time he has been part of the Sacramental and Pastoral Team... In recent days, many of us have felt the tension between global leaders. Pope Leo has been quite clear and consistent of late with a message that is not about personalities or politics. It is about the gospel... We must be people who promote peace, even when it is unpopular...

We all know life is busy with entrances and exits. People come, and people go. As many of you might remember, I moved to Oak Park in the summer of 2020 during the COVID pandemic to minister with Father Carl Morello. My time here has gone by fast, but it's time for me to leave Oak Park... During these past six years I have had the privilege of getting to know many of you personally... I thank God for having called me with Father Carl to minister to each and every one of you...

We are the Resurrection - Here and Now. This was the message I tried to convey at the Easter Vigil as well as on Easter Sunday... Here in our Catholic Communities of Oak Park and Neighbors, we find ourselves in a continued time of change... Last Saturday at our one shared Easter Vigil, we witnessed it... That moment was not just a ritual - it was a revelation... The Resurrection is not just something that happened long ago. It is happening here. It is happening now. And it is happening in us...

Welcome, and Happy Easter! Whether you are here every week, visiting from out of town, or returning after some time away, we are truly glad you are with us today. Your presence matters. There is a place for you here, and there is a reason you are here – even perhaps more than you realize... Easter is not simply a memory of something that happened long ago. It is a proclamation for today... Easter invites each of us to begin again. To believe again. To hope again. May this day bring you peace...

Here we are, Palm Sunday and then the Holiest Days of the year, the celebration of the Sacred Triduum - Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil... On Holy Thursday, we remember the gift of the Eucharist and Jesus’ commandment to love and serve one another... On Good Friday, we stand quietly at the foot of the cross, recognizing the depth of God’s love poured out for the world... Then in the darkness of the Easter Vigil, light breaks forth again as we proclaim the Resurrection...

Attention!!! Lay leadership and co-responsibility are important aspects of vibrant parishes today and for the future. I ask all to please read the information included in this week’s corner. Both Parish Pastoral Councils are in a time of transition and seeking new membership... When recommending a potential Parish Pastoral Council member, please include: Name, Phone Number, Email Address, and a brief description of what gifts this person would bring to the council...

In this fourth week of Lent, the world feels heavy. News of war reminds us how fragile peace can be. At the same time, our nation has paused to remember the life of Jesse Jackson,... At one of the services, Stevie Wonder sang the civil rights anthem “We Shall Overcome.”... Lent invites us to make that same choice. When the world feels divided by fear, war, or injustice, the gospel asks us to begin where we are - through prayer, kindness, and the quiet work of reconciliation...

I want to extend our congratulations to both Deacon Willam Pouncy and Prentice Butler for awards given to them in recognition of their service to the community... We congratulate William on receiving the Augustus Tolton Award for Religious Leadership at the 48th Annual African American Heritage Prayer Service... Prentice received the 32nd Archbishop James P. Lyke African American Male Image Award honoring his service in our community...

One of the clearest ways the Church guides us is through the Corporal Works of Mercy; to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, cloth the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick and imprisoned and to bury the dead... Lent calls us to reflect - not simply on what we give up, but on who we are becoming... the Corporal Works of Mercy offer more than charity, they offer a Christian response... In our restless and wounded world, the Corporal Works of Mercy ground us...

Lent invites us to do something deeper. We might fast from constant noise... Another fast is to step back from whatever dulls our spiritual awareness... This Lent, I encourage every member of our parishes to intentionally create space for retreat time with God. Utilize what our parishes are offering and use these options to create your own space for retreat time with God... Think of this during the Lenten season: “Less noise. More God.”...

Catholic social teaching has guided the Church for more than a century and is rooted directly in the Gospel... “The Church considers it her duty to interpose her authority” when the dignity of persons is threatened. There are circumstances around us today that make it our duty to speak up... Let us remember African American Christian witness teaches us to live the Gospel with truth, dignity, and enduring love...